The present invention relates to a vehicle protection device for preventing insects and other materials from messing up the windshield and front end of a moving vehicle and from stopping up the radiator of the vehicle.
In the past it has been common to provide a great many deflectors for placement on different portions of a vehicle for contolling air currents and to prevent windshields from becoming messed up. One such deflector is placed on the top rear of a station wagon or automobile to control air currents to prevent the rear window from becoming covered with dirt, and the like, from the eddy currents created by the vehicle. Other such devices provide deflectors placed on the hood, or on the side vent windows for either controlling the air current or deflecting insects to prevent the insects from splattering against the windshield or from getting into the automobile. One prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,455 teaches a bug screen employing a metallic frame having spring loaded latching means for attaching to the front of a vehicle. Such screens are used for catching insects while similar screens on the front of vehicles are also used to prevent other trash from getting into the radiator as well as providing some crash protection for passengers in the vehicle. In addition, the present invention provides for protection for the headlights which can lose some of their reflectiveness by a large number of insects being splattered thereon and from hitting the windshield which reduces the visibility of the driver and passengers in the vehicle. This problem is especially acute in some southern states where twice a year lovebugs enter their breeding season with very large numbers of slow moving mating bugs around the highways which can completely cover the front end and windshield of a vehicle. The bugs are very difficult to clear off of the windshield and front of the vehicle and to remove from the vehicle's radiator. One protection system that has been suggested wraps a piece of screen around the front end of the vehicle. This, however, does not protect the windshield of the vehicle and still allows the front end of the vehicle to become messed up by the splattered bugs oozing through the screen onto the front of the radiator.
Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,254 which is a bug and gravel shield for vehicles and includes air guides to direct air currents hitting the front of the vehicle, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,439 which is a combination radiator screen and insect deflector for windshields. U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,727 illustrates bracing means for the upper portion of automobile protective screens, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,308 illustrates a bug shield for automobiles having an attached shield. These prior patents, however, do not illustrate a combination of an insect protection screen and windshield bug deflector which are adjustable for a great variety of vehicles by being attachable to a great variety of automobile bumpers by the flexibility of the attaching system. The present system can thus be rapidly attached and detached from the vehicle.